Gemotions

The email blinked on Amelia’s laptop screen. *Urgent Announcement: College Closure*. She blinked back, then reread the subject line. Her hand instinctively reached for a cup of lukewarm coffee, but she stopped halfway, her fingers hovering near the rim. The words seemed to vibrate, blurring together into an incomprehensible jumble. Her breath hitched. The familiar hum of the library, usually a comfort, now felt like a taunt.

The air in the room thickened. She felt a sudden chill, despite the stuffy atmosphere. Gritting her teeth, Amelia forced herself to scroll down, scanning the cold, official tone of the announcement. Her stomach twisted, a sensation akin to freefalling. Everything she'd planned, every carefully laid out schedule, dissolved into a cloudy haze. "No," she whispered, the sound barely audible above the rhythmic tap-tap-tapping of keyboards around her.